


All That Jazz

by Stargazer_01



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Chicago (Musical) References, Dancing and Singing, F/F, Flirting, Inspired by Chicago (Musical), Musicals, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:21:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29768547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargazer_01/pseuds/Stargazer_01
Summary: Lilith Demons is an ensemble dancer; thrust into the role of Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago, just one month before previews. Her co-star, Zelda Spellman, keeps to herself and barely speaks to anyone outside of the script. With time short and stress high, the two women can feel the weight of the show on their shoulders. Will it bring them together, or will the drama off-stage cause chaos before opening night?
Relationships: Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Comments: 32
Kudos: 56





	1. Understudy

**Author's Note:**

> Please welcome to the stage... The fic that will most likely kill me as I write it. 
> 
> But then again... I had it coming. 
> 
> So we will venture through a range of elements in this story, although I am not a planner, so as with all of my stories, anything could happen and the characters are to blame, I assure you. They just do what they want. I hope you enjoy this; I'm so excited to bring this pairing to the stage in 'Chicago', one of my favourite musicals. 
> 
> I will be using both the film and the stage show for depictions of numbers as, while I love the stage, I think there are some moments in the film that are more familiar to people and more dramatic. Plus, I can take creative licence because fuck it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy. And don't forget to follow my Instagram, where the cover art for this piece and many others can be found: stargazer_01_writer. 
> 
> Without further ado, I give you... Zelda Spellman as Roxie Hart and Lilith Demons as Velma Kelly.

“Five, six, seven, eight.”

A singular spotlight. Lilith’s skin prickled in anticipation. She lifted her head, arched her eyebrow and stepped forward towards the dark auditorium. 

“No!” Her step faltered as Faustus Blackwood came into view in the director’s seat. He was frowning. “Do it again.”

Lilith returned to her spot and raised her head towards the spotlight. She stepped forward and began to sing. 

“He had it coming-”

“-NO! Not good enough.”

“What do you want me to do?” Lilith could feel the shiver of irritation down her spine. 

“I want you to get off my stage and out of my theatre. You’ll never work on the stage again.”

Suddenly the lights went up and Lilith could see the entire cast and crew as they burst into laughter, pointing at her. The sounds grew louder and louder, until she had to press her hands over her ears. 

_***_

With a jolt, Lilith woke up. Her alarm was blaring and she groaned as she switched it off. The nightmares were becoming more frequent as the tech rehearsal grew closer and it didn’t help that their director, Faustus Blackwood, seemed to pick a new target every rehearsal to focus his frustration on. It had been Lilith twice already and she was not aiming for a third. 

Dragging herself out of bed, Lilith padded across the carpet to the bathroom and turned on the shower to let the water heat up, before checking her face in the mirror and wincing. The bags under her eyes were getting more prominent and she eyes the bottle of sleeping pills that her doctor had prescribed. She hated to rely on them, but maybe she should take one tonight, just to get a singular night of rest…

The shower felt good and as she rubbed her tired muscles with a soapy sponge, Lilith allowed her head to fall back against the tile. She rubbed circles over her shoulders, down her arms and then across her chest, breathing in the steam slowly. It was these moments that she took her pleasure in; moments of self care where the world fell away and she could feel tension slipping away, replaced with a warm comfort. She rubbed under her breasts and down her stomach, before slipping the sponge between her legs. The stirrings of pleasure pricked at her senses and she swallowed, moving quickly on. She had no energy to waste with a full day of rehearsal ahead and although Lilith liked to let go of some tension by finding a willing partner in a bar every so often, she hadn’t in months. She bit her lip as the pressing heat in her lower stomach persisted at the reminder of how long it had been since she’d engaged in a little stress relief with a stranger. 

She twisted the tap, and the heat was replaced with a cold jet that shocked her system, sending her shivering across the tile to grab a towel. Well, that was one way to distract her from tumbling into thoughts that would make her late. 

Drying herself quickly, she slipped on her underwear and tights, before sliding into the black leotard with the keyhole back, high neck and no arms. She pulled on her shorts and then baggy sweatpants, before grabbing her jacket and bag. One last glance in the mirror and she bit her lip; the bags were still obvious. She dabbed on some concealer and a little eyeliner before throwing them in her bag for touch ups later. It would have to do. She slipped out into the kitchen and grabbed a banana before stuffing her feet into her boots and heading out, locking the door behind her. 

On the way to rehearsal she slipped into her local coffee shop, ordering her usual and a pastry to eat as she walked. She was early, unable to stand being late, and so she finished up the treat outside the studio and tried to ignore the old twitch of her fingers as she inhaled someone’s cigarette smoke from the side of the building. She had quit years ago, but sometimes she still yearned…

Gritting her teeth, she pushed away from the wall and entered the studio, before that part of her could decide to join whoever it was and beg for a smoke. 

Faustus Blackwood barely acknowledged her as she entered, despite her being one of the first there. It wasn’t unusual, so she put her bag in the corner and joined the dancers who were already there in stretching. 

Others trickled in as the time for rehearsal got closer and Lilith sat in the splits, watching the door, her elbows resting on the floor and her chin propped on her hands. 

“He doesn’t look as irritated today,” Agatha, one of the other dancers that Lilith didn’t actually mind whispered from next to her. Lilith glanced over at Faustus, who was talking to Prudence, the choreographer, and who did, admittedly, seem a little less like he wanted to throw something out of the window. 

“Don’t jinx it,” she muttered back. Agatha chuckled and went back to stretching her quads.

Lilith’s eyes were drawn towards the door again as it opened and her breath caught. 

Zelda Spellman was breathtakingly enchanting with a charisma that made you want to leap up from your seat and join her... or at least that was what the reviews of her last show had said. In rehearsals, the woman had kept to herself, rarely speaking to anyone other than Faustus or Prudence outside of her lines, and it was when she performed that she seemed to come alive. Lilith had been transfixed the first time she had seen her do ‘Roxie’, her solo number. Her sultry tone, with some sliver of a strange sort of innocence, and the pure joy that radiated from her as she danced had captivated the other woman and she had almost forgotten that there were other people in the room besides the two of them. 

Today, Zelda was wearing black fishnets and a black leotard that was mostly hidden underneath a thin, half-see through maroon jumper, and as she placed her bag down at the front of the room, everyone’s attention seemed to turn to her, before drifting back to whatever conversation or task they had been on. Except Lilith, who remained transfixed. 

Because Lilith had not spoken to the woman, hadn’t even danced close, but there was something about her that drew her in. She wasn’t sure if it was the woman’s star quality, or whether she was merely the unfortunate recipient of a crush on the most inaccessible person she’d ever worked with, but either way, Lilith found that she always worked a little harder when Zelda was in the room. 

Once, she thought she’d seen Zelda watching her, but by the time she could look back at her, mid-dance, the other woman was focused on her script. Still, Lilith’s attention had become more and more focused on the woman as the rehearsals went on and she had mentally chastised herself once or twice when her fascination had distracted her from performing her best. 

Zelda began to stretch and Lilith averted her eyes as she felt her throat constricting. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t just the star quality. Lilith definitely had some form of a crush on the woman, because she couldn’t look at her stretching without getting a little flushed. Still, she had no business in staring at a woman who she hadn’t spoken a single word to. She would get through rehearsals, they would do the show run, and then one or both of them would move on to a different show and Lilith would find someone else to get a crush on. Because really, what she was drawn to was talent. She couldn’t resist it, no matter what form it came in; one of her exes had been a talented business woman known for crushing her competition. Lilith had been pleased to find that all of her work meant that when she came home, all she wanted was to submit. 

Lilith loved taking care of strong women; being the only one to see them become soft. 

Agatha nudged her and Lilith’s head snapped to her. Agatha gave her a strange look. 

“What’ve you done to piss off the High Priestess?” 

Lilith frowned. She didn’t like the nickname that the rest of the ensemble had given Zelda, although she supposed it could have been much worse. Still, with the ‘High’ coming from her supposed high and mighty attitude, where she saw herself as too good to speak to the rest of the cast, and the ‘Priestess’ coming from her pristine reputation and lack of interest in doing anything that the dancers deemed ‘fun’, the name didn’t paint her in the most favourable of lights. And yet, she was inaccessible, never joined the social nights and they knew barely anything about her, other than what minimal gossip they could glean from the media. Zelda was private and while everyone else judged her, Lilith respected her for it. Being in the limelight all the time, was it so wrong that she might like some privacy in her life? 

“What do you mean?”

“She’s looked at you three times in the last minute,” Agatha muttered under her breath. “Did you step on her during a dance or something?”

“No?” Lilith glanced over at Zelda, who was currently sitting in the exact position she was, stretching forward so that her head almost touched the floor with her legs thrown out to the sides. Lilith licked her lips and turned back to Agatha. “She doesn’t even know who I am. Probably looking out of the window.”

“She was definitely looking at you.”

Lilith shrugged, but her heart had skipped a beat. As Prudence clapped her hands together, summoning them all to the centre, she risked another glance at the woman, standing at the front in her T-bar heels. She looked as she always did; distant from everyone around her, except their director and choreographer. Her entire attention was focused on them. Lilith looked back to Prudence, shaking herself mentally. Of course she hadn’t been looking at her; why would she? Lilith was just a member of the ensemble and Zelda was a star. There was no reason for her to acknowledge her existence at all. 

“We’re going through Cell Block Tango today,” Prudence announced, her cool gaze sweeping over them. “Where’s Mary?”

The cast looked around, suddenly realising they were without their Velma Kelly. Mary Wardwell was an interesting casting choice for the second lead in the show, having always played angelic characters before, but apparently she had wanted to break out of her innocent reputation, at least on stage. She was talented and brought a new element of desperation to Velma’s ‘I can’t do it alone’ performance, but Lilith thought she was missing a bit of the ‘sex’ element. She had hoped that she’d just been adjusting to her new role, but there hadn’t been much of a change and it had caused heated arguments between Mary and Faustus in the middle of some of the rehearsals. Still, Mary was nice; she was always bringing in snacks for the ensemble and had come to a few of the bar nights where they’d sing karaoke and drink until they forgot about how much their feet hurt. 

“Does anyone know where she is?” Faustus asked, his jaw tight. They all shook their head and he let out an exasperated breath before grabbing his phone and storming out of the room. Silence lingered as the door closed and then Prudence pulled them back to attention. 

“Well, we’ll get started while we wait to find out what’s going on. Probably just stuck in traffic.”

They lined up behind the rolling frames that were filling in for their cell bars in rehearsal and Lilith rolled her neck, trying not to focus on Zelda, who was sitting in a chair at the front, watching them. 

They began and Lilith let the smirk she usually reserved for nights when she didn’t want to be alone in her bed play across her lips, as her arms reached through the ‘bars’. 

Ambrose, the emcee for the show, stepped forward. 

“And now, the six merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail, in their rendition of 'The Cell Block Tango'!”

“Pop!” Agatha sang next to her. 

“Six!” Lilith followed up as she curled her lip.

“Squish!”

“Uh uh!”

“Cicero!” Prudence added in, stepping in for Mary vocally, although she remained at the front, watching them. 

“Lipschitz!”

They repeated and then the first chorus came and Lilith threw herself into it with vigour.

“He had it coming, he had it coming. He only had himself to blame! If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it… I betcha you would have done the same!”

When it came to Lilith’s part, she stepped through the bars, making sure that she slinked towards her partner. 

“I met Ezekiel Young from Salt Lake City about two years ago, and he told me he was single and we hit it off right away.” She wrapped her arm around her partner and walked around him, trailing her fingers over his torso. “So, we started living together. He'd go to work, he'd come home, I'd mix him a drink, we'd have dinner.”

Lilith leaned into him as he held her and she looked at him as though she cared. 

“It was like heaven in two and a half rooms.” She pushed him away, all care gone as she glared.

“And then I found out, single he told me? Single my ass!” He dropped to the floor and she straddled him in a side split, slowly, her eyes flicking to Zelda. The woman was watching and Lilith’s stomach twisted a little as she leaned forward, almost parallel with the floor and the man underneath her. “Not only was he married, oh no! He had six wives; one of those Mormons, you know?”

She sat up, taking her power position, her hands on his chest. She knew she looked good and she directed the question at Zelda with an eyebrow arch as her lips pursed, because hell if she was going to show off that side of herself during any number it was definitely going to be this one, wasn’t it? Was it her imagination, or was Zelda extremely focused on her? 

“So that night, when he came home, I mixed him his drink as usual…” She leaned down and caught the red fabric that he’d tucked into his shirt between her teeth, pulling it up. “You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic!”

She rolled off of him and sent a fake kick to his stomach so that he would roll up to standing, just in time to catch her as she kicked up her feet in a jump.

"He had it coming, he had it coming, he took a flower in its prime!” She circled him before getting dipped so that her fingers trailed the floor and her long legs were on full display. He lifted her back to her feet and they tangoed across the floor. “And then he used it; and he abused it. It was a murder, but not a crime!”

Lilith prowled to her next mark as Rosalind took centre stage. 

“Now, I'm standing in the kitchen, I'm carving up the chicken for dinner, minding my own business, and in storms my husband Wilbur in a jealous rage…” 

The door to the studio opened and Faustus Blackwood stormed in; the door bounced back against the wall and everyone jumped. 

“Stop!” He cried. “Get out, all of you.”

“Faustus, what…?” Prudence began as they all began to head for the door. 

“Not you. Or you, Zelda,” he kept them back. Lilith glanced over her shoulder as they headed outside, to see Zelda looking perplexed. 

Outside, they gathered around the door, unashamedly trying to hear what was going on. 

“Has to be something to do with Wardwell,” Roz whispered. “He went out to get her on the phone.”

“What?!” Zelda’s voice, strained and stressed, came from the other side of the door and they all huddled closer. They could hear hushed voices and then Faustus’ voice rose. 

“You’ll just have to deal with it. You’re a professional!”

“How am I supposed to do that? The previews are in a month!”

“We’ll get a replacement.”

“And in the meantime?”

“The understudy will have to do it.”

Agatha and Roz looked at Lilith, whose eyebrows rose. 

“No… there’s no way,” she hissed. “They can’t be talking about Mary.”

“They have to be.” Agatha replied. “Who else?”

“I don’t…”

“Get them back in here. We’re going to have to get it done now.” Faustus’ voice rose and they all hurried away from the door before Prudence opened it. She gave them a look like she knew they’d been listening. 

“Well? Come back in.”

They traipsed in and Lilith’s eyes went to Zelda immediately; the woman’s brow was furrowed and her jaw was tight. Faustus waited until they had all come in before leaning back on the table and surveying them all. 

“Some bad news has just reached me about our Velma Kelly.” He crossed his arms and looked over them all. “Apparently Miss Wardwell took it upon herself to get hit by a car this morning, so she will no longer be performing in the show.”

Shocked whispers rippled through the group. Lilith’s heart sank. Poor Mary. 

“Is she okay?” Roz asked. 

“Does it matter?” Faustus snapped. “What matters is that we are a month from previews with no Velma. Where’s the understudy?”

Lilith arched her eyebrow. 

“You fired her two months ago.”

His eyes narrowed at her. 

“Thank you for that helpful reminder. Since you’re so good at remembering things, you should have no trouble standing in while we look for a replacement.”

Lilith’s throat dried up as Agatha’s hand gripped her arm. 

“Oh my god, Lilith!” She hissed, excitedly. But Lilith could only feel the nerves racing through her as she caught Zelda’s eye, who seemed to be surveying her with a look that Lilith couldn’t place. She was probably thinking that she couldn’t do the role. She’d been in the chorus for forever, never reaching the spotlight, and now she was Velma? Until they found a replacement of course. She clung onto that thought and felt a slight calm cooling the heat of her nerves. It wasn’t like they were expecting her to perform the role. That took some of the pressure off. Still… she had always wanted this. This was her opportunity… for however short amount of time.

“Get your stuff, understudy. We’re going next door to rehearse until you’re up to scratch. Prudence, work through Roxie’s numbers. Get that arrogant prick Lucifer in to do his Billy scenes. Go!”

Lilith sprang into action, hurrying across the floor to grab her bag and following Faustus out of the room, throwing a look back at Agatha and Roz. Zelda caught the look and Lilith’s skin heated as she disappeared through the door to her uncertain fate. 

***

“AGAIN!” Faustus cried, clapping his hands together. Lilith could feel herself flagging; if she could just get five minutes and a gulp of water… “This is the goddamn opening number, it has to be sharp.”

Lilith re-centred herself and threw her head up, feeling her top sticking to her back. 

“Come on babe, why don't we paint the town?... And all that jazz.” She slid her hands down her thighs. “I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down… and all that jazz.”

She stepped forward and rocked her hips, focused on Faustus, determined to show him that she was good enough for this. She refused to let those nightmares become a reality. She’d done this so many times, yearned for the role and here was her chance. She could do this. 

“Start the car, I know a whoopee spot, where the gin is cold but the piano's hot! It's just a noisy hall, where there's a nightly brawl…” She traced her fingers up her sides and into the air, flirting with the audience. “And all that jazz.”

She lost herself in it, in the show of it, in the sex of it; the seduction that she loved. Everything about Chicago made her feel alive and she had always wanted the opportunity that was now within her grasp. 

When she finished the number, Faustus didn’t respond for a moment; just sat and looked at her. Then he pursed his lips. 

“Alright, better.” He stood up from the seat and stepped towards her. “We’ll get the dancers in to go through it but you’ll do, for now.”

Lilith smiled lightly, feeling the sting of ‘you’re still not good enough’ hit her. 

“Thank you.”

“Mm. Get some water and go and tell Prudence you’re to go through the number with the ensemble.” His eyes raked over her and a slight smirk lifted his lips. It made her straighten up, feeling a chill. “Then we’ll see if you can stand out from the crowd, or whether your time in the chorus has ruined your individuality.”

She nodded and went to grab her bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder and taking the bottle out to take a much needed drink. As she reached the door, Faustus’ voice stopped her. 

“Oh and send Zelda in here; I want to go over her scenes.”

Lilith froze and then nodded. 

In the corridor, she stopped to catch her breath, taking another gulp of water before putting the bottle in her bag and straightening her back; striding into the room as though she hadn’t just been put through the ringer. 

They seemed to be taking a break, so she walked over to Prudence and tried not to look at Zelda, who was leaning over the piano and talking to their musical director. 

“Lilith, you’re alive,” Prudence greeted her with a little smirk. Lilith offered one back. 

“Just about. He wants me to go through the opening with the others. And he wants Zelda to go through scenes with him in the other studio.”

“Then go tell her that,” Prudence replied. “They’ve got five minutes left of their break and you look like you could do with one too. Then we’ll get on with the opening number.”  
Lilith nodded, her eyes flicking over to Zelda, then back to Prudence. She dropped her bag.

“Is Mary ok? She didn’t… she’s not...dead?”

Prudence shook her head. 

“No. Broken bones, but nothing she can’t heal from. Still, she’s out for the show. The cast have been doing a collection for her if you want in?”

Lilith nodded, relieved, and then glanced over at Zelda again. She could do this. She’d have to talk to her at some point; if they didn’t find a replacement too quickly they would have scenes together. Surely…

She stopped by the piano and Zelda glanced up at her, straightening so that she was standing to her full height, placing her arm on the top of the piano. She was very slightly taller than Lilith and the brunette flicked her tongue out to wet her lips before she spoke. 

“Faustus asked me to tell you that he wants to run scenes in the other room.” When Zelda only arched her eyebrow, Lilith felt a warmth in her stomach. “I’m Lilith, by the way.”

“Thank you for telling me, Lilith.” 

Zelda’s voice was calm but it sent a tingling shiver through Lilith. She inclined her head and turned away, heading over to where Roz and Agatha were throwing her curious looks. She heard the door open and close. 

“Oh my god, you talked to her. Are you going to be best friends now?”

“How did it go? Is he awful? Did he like what you did?”

“What did you say to her?”

“Which question did you want me to answer first?” Lilith asked dryly, aware that the rest of the ensemble were all pretending not to listen while they edged closer. “He doesn’t exactly hate it but I don’t think I’ll last long before he finds a replacement. But it feels so good to get to do the numbers, even if only for a little while.”

“What about you and the High Priestess?” Agatha teased. “Are you going to work your magic on her?”

“I don’t have any magic. And stop calling her that.”

“Oh please, I’ve never seen you get turned down by a woman.”

Lilith rolled her eyes and grabbed her water, taking another gulp before heading into the centre, leaving the others giggling behind her, just as Prudence began pulling them for rehearsal. 

An hour later, Lilith felt confident. It was easier working with Prudence, who she got on with and had worked with in another show before this, and she didn’t feel like she was being stripped by Faustus’ eyes. The number went smoothly after a few tries, so they had moved on to walking through the Cell Block Tango, while Lilith ran the song with the piano player. She was feeling slightly more relaxed, although there was an excited ache in her chest that she tried to ignore, reminding herself that this was just temporary. It could all be taken away at a moment’s notice. 

Faustus returned, holding the door open for Zelda, and Prudence went to update him on their progress. Lilith watched as Zelda dropped her bottle in her bag and picked up her phone. A small smile twitched at her lips and Lilith’s heart rate picked up. Zelda glanced up from her phone, looking around, possibly to see if anyone had caught her smiling. Lilith couldn’t look away, even as their eyes met. Zelda arched an eyebrow. Lilith gave her a small smile and then returned her attention to the music. 

“Right, let’s see what you’ve done!” Faustus called. 

He gave correction after correction and Lilith felt muscles that she didn’t know existed aching, but by the end of the day there was a spark of pride in her. The ensemble supported her, one of their own getting to play the title role if only for a while, and although some of them also muttered behind her back, she was grateful to those that didn’t. She had done a good job and Prudence gave her a sly wink when she’d finished and they were being dismissed. Lilith grinned at her and then turned, catching Zelda looking vaguely curious at their exchange. Lilith chanced another smile at her before grabbing her bag and heading towards the door with Agatha and Roz. 

“Lilith,” Faustus called, halting her progress. “I want you here an hour early tomorrow; we still have a lot to get through.”

“I’ll be here,” she replied. 

In the corridor, Agatha and Roz gripped her arms and squealed. 

“Oh my god, you’ve done it. This is it. You’re going to be Velma.”

“I am not. He’s looking for a replacement.”

“Lil, you’re so good at this. He has to keep you.” Agatha crowed. 

“He doesn’t have to do anything.” Lilith responded and then elbowed her gently. “And I told you, stop calling me Lil.”

Laughing, they made their way to the lift and crammed in with other members of the ensemble. 

“We’re going out to celebrate though, right?” Roz asked as the lift began to move. 

“Seriously? I’m dead,” Lilith groaned. “Can we wait until the weekend, when I’ve found my feet?”

“Alright, grandma.”

“I am not that much older than you,” Lilith arched her eyebrow and lowered her voice. “And my high kicks can still kick your ass, kid.”

“Sorry mum,” Roz grinned cheekily. 

Lilith contemplated pushing her into her crush, Harvey, who was right behind her, but decided against it. All she wanted was to go home, order a pizza that she would refuse to feel guilty about because of how hard she’d worked, get in the shower and then collapse into bed until her alarm went off the next morning. 

“The weekend,” she offered instead. “I promise. You can both buy me a round to congratulate me.”

“Oh can we?” Agatha said sarcastically, laughing. “What a treat!”

“So long as you don’t disappear off with the first hot woman that flutters her eyelashes at you,” Roz grinned. 

Lilith smirked. 

“No promises.”


	2. Rehearsal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith wants to prove herself, perhaps especially to Zelda, but a misunderstanding could mean that whatever progress she's made in getting on her good side is over before it really began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are again. I really love writing this story.   
> My Instagram is Stargazer_01_writer  
> Twitter @01Stargazer
> 
> Hopefully you're loving this as much as I am. <3 Thanks in advance for reading!

Lilith groaned when her alarm blared next to her head. Grabbing the phone and stopping the alarm, she peered blearily at the time. What? It was too early for her alarm; she didn’t have to be in until… wait. 

She sat up in bed, feeling the surge of excitement and dread rushing through her simultaneously.

“Oh, unholy fucks, I’m Velma.” Temporarily, she reminded herself. But still… 

Lilith rolled out of bed and headed into the bathroom to clean her teeth, then washed her face and studied it. She had at least slept, so the circles had diminished somewhat, but coverup was still needed. Hesitating slightly after covering under her eyes, she took up the eyeliner from her makeup back and added a thin line that brought out her eyes. 

It was best to think that she had done it to stand out a little more as Velma, to give her the best chance of keeping the role. It had absolutely nothing to do with the curiosity she had seen in Zelda’s eyes when she had been dancing the previous day. Nothing at all. 

And if she picked out one of her favourite leotards, the one with thick black straps that crossed over her toned back and left her arms bare, so what? She was allowed to wear what she wanted. She was allowed to feel and look good. 

The smirk on her lips as she checked her reflection in the mirror was harder to ignore. Her hands smoothed over the leotard and down her thin black tights that showed off her calf muscles particularly well as she practiced a few moves from ‘All That Jazz’. 

“Come on babe, why don’t we paint the town…” she hummed and then smirked a little harder as she lifted her chin. “Well, at least I look like Velma.”

She slipped some tight black shorts on, then threw on a black wrap cardigan, tying it round her waist, before pulling up some trousers and admiring the effect. Slipping her feet into her boots, her arms into her leather jacket and grabbing her bag, she threw her lunch into it with her water bottle, collected her keys and hurried out of the door. 

The journey was quicker than usual, because she had beaten the usual rush to get her breakfast and drink. She paused outside fifteen minutes early. Her nerves were thrumming through her and her stomach twisted as she thought about the day ahead. She had spent two hours when she got home going over the songs before stumbling into the shower and then collapsing in bed. Now, she felt doubt creeping in. 

The smell of cigarette smoke drifted past her nose and she gritted her teeth. 

Fuck it. 

Rounding the corner, she pushed the gate to the side of the building through and stepped into the alley. 

“Hey, I was wondering if… Oh.”

Zelda Spellman was leaning against the wall, the cigarette smoke curling around her, wrapped in a black coat with a leopard print collar. Lilith’s entrance made her jump, and every bit of evidence of her relaxation seemed to flee from her as she became rigid, looking at the intrusion. Then, her brow furrowed. 

“Oh… it’s you.”

“Lilith,” she supplied helpfully, feeling a sliver of disappointment creep through her. 

“I remember,” Zelda replied, flicking ash from the end of her cigarette and then lifting it to her lips to inhale again. Lilith’s tongue flicked out to wet her lips as she watched the action and she saw Zelda raise an eyebrow. “Can I help you?”

“I was going to ask to bum a smoke,” Lilith replied, eyeing the woman as her brain caught up with her. “But I think I’m just going to head inside. I quit a while ago and I should really try and stick to that.”

“I quit too,” Zelda said, and then her eyes darted to her cigarette and a rueful smile tweaked her lips. Lilith’s heart stuttered. “Well, I had.”

“Stress makes it hard to stick to it,” Lilith supplied. 

Zelda’s eyebrow arched and she pulled herself up a little higher, raising her chin defiantly. 

“Who says I’m stressed?”

“I meant me,” Lilith placated. Oh sure, you seem totally fine. No stress in those shoulders at all. 

“Oh.” Zelda gave her a once over and then a slightly apologetic look passed over her face. “Because of Velma? That’s only temporary though, right?”

“Right,” Lilith replied, pursing her lips. Ouch. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to interrupt you, so I’ll just go ahead and get inside.”

“I didn’t…” Zelda paused, frustration creasing her brow. She seemed to debate her next words carefully, before sighing. “Yes. I’ll see you in there.”

Lilith turned and headed back out onto the street, her shoulders bunched up against the cool that had settled over her during the interaction. Zelda had seemed unsure of how to talk to her, what to say and had looked quite uncomfortable when she had upset Lilith with the comment about her only being temporary. Still, it didn’t help the way Lilith had felt at the comment. Sure, she knew it was only temporary, but to have her stress waved away as though it were nothing like that…

Lilith mentally shook herself as she climbed the stairs to the studio. It wouldn’t do to dwell on it. She had disturbed Zelda and it wasn’t like they’d spoken to each other at all until yesterday. Why would the woman be comfortable around her? She was always so reserved and aloof anyway. And why did Lilith care what she thought? 

She strode into the studio and put her bag down. Okay, so she cared what Zelda thought. That just meant that today, she’d show her exactly what Lilith was capable of in this role. Then they’d see what Zelda Spellman thought of her. 

The burn of determination in her stomach, Lilith began to stretch. Faustus appeared through the door, spotting her for once, and nodded at her. 

“Good, you’re here. We’re going through all of the numbers with Velma in them today. I want you up to speed in case your replacement is hard to find.”

Lilith arched an eyebrow and nodded, which seemed to catch him off guard. 

“I’m ready.”

“Sure of yourself today, aren’t you?” He said and Lilith ignored the way the words crawled down her spine like something unpleasant. “Well, we’ll start with All That Jazz to make sure you haven’t forgotten what we did yesterday, then Cell Block and so on, alright?”

“Alright,” Lilith replied, standing. “Looking forward to it.”

“Sure,” he said dryly, before setting himself up at the table he usually occupied at the front. Lilith continued stretching, running through lyrics in her head. When the door opened again, she glanced up, seeing Zelda appearing, still wrapped up in the coat she’d been wearing outside. Faustus glanced over and then his eyes stayed fixed to her. “Zelda, you’re here early.”

“I couldn’t sleep; no point in sitting at home waiting to come in,” she replied dismissively and then her eyes darted to Lilith. “Besides, I thought that if you were going through Velma numbers you might need me.”

“We’re going through in order,” Faustus informed her as Lilith bent down to touch her toes, ignoring them both. She felt the familiar stretch in her calves and breathed in deeply. “But how about you stretch and we’ll see how quickly she can get through them?”  
Lilith rolled her eyes, grateful that she wasn’t looking at them. 

“Alright Faustus, if you think that’s best.”

Lilith stood, catching Zelda as she slid off the coat she had been wearing, folding it neatly. Underneath, she was wearing tight black leggings that cut off mid-calf and a loose black tank top, and Lilith’s eyes trailed over her for a second before she directed her attention back to Faustus. He was also looking at Zelda.

Lilith cleared her throat as she stepped into the centre and it brought his attention back to her; she pretended to not have noticed his wandering eyes. Asshole. 

They began going through the numbers. Lilith made it through All That Jazz without a hitch, and she did her best to ignore Zelda’s eyes, which she would occasionally feel on her. They moved onto Cell Block Tango, and Lilith thanked the stars that she’d always been obsessed with the part, and had therefore watched and learned every move that Mary had done during their rehearsals for the number. Faustus made two corrections, but he seemed to be begrudgingly pleased with her work and they moved on to ‘I can’t do it alone’. 

“Do you know the routine?” Faustus asked. 

“Most of it.”

His eyebrow rose. 

“Most of it?”

“I saw Mary do it a few times,” she shrugged as she picked up her water bottle to take a sip. “I pick things up quickly. I’m just missing the last verse worth of choreography.”

“We’ll see about that.” He turned to Zelda, who was sitting with her legs in a diamond, her head on her feet. “Zelda, grab your chair. We’ll see if she can impress you.”

Lilith swallowed as Zelda’s eyes flicked over to her. She took another gulp of water to mask her sudden bout of nerves, and put the bottle down, stretching her neck to the side. 

“I’m sure she can handle it,” Zelda’s voice surprised Lilith, and her eyebrow rose as she looked at the woman. “She’s done well so far.”

That was a different attitude to the one that she’d had outside. Perhaps it was because Zelda was in her element here and had on her professional mask. Lilith had caught her unawares outside. She tried to ignore the urge to shoot the woman a grateful smile for her praise and focused on rolling her head, easing the tension building in her neck. She really needed a massage. 

“Well, Lilith, that’s quite some praise from our star,” Faustus’ voice was just a little close to mocking for Lilith to be comfortable. “Let’s make sure you don’t let her down. Find your mark.” 

Lilith got ready, looking at Zelda, sitting on her chair and she felt the same thrill of excitement that she’d had the day before, performing Cell Block Tango. Another chance to have her undivided attention? 

Lilith’s smirk threatened to appear and she pushed it down. Well, maybe she would find out why those eyes had been so curious, after all. Thankful that she had taken off her trousers earlier, leaving her in the shorts and tights, she unwrapped the cardigan in preparation. She’d been getting too hot anyway. As she tossed it to her bag and returned to her mark, she turned her attention to Zelda and became Velma. 

Faustus pressed play on the music. 

“My sister and I had an act that couldn't flop. My sister and I were headed straight for the top.  
My sister and I earned a thou a week at least,” Zelda’s eyebrow rose as Roxie showed interest for the first time and Lilith smirked. “Oh, sure! But my sister is now, unfortunately, deceased.”

She found herself amused as ‘Roxie’ feigned disinterest, all the while shooting glances over the top of the newspaper. 

“Oh, I know it's sad, of course, but a fact is still a fact. And now all that remains is the remains of a perfect double act!” She stepped forward and pulled down the newspaper, bringing Zelda’s face into view. Lilith cocked her eyebrow. “Roxie, do you know you are exactly the same size as my sister? Oh, you would fit in her wardrobe perfectly.”

She stepped back, opening her arms wide. 

“Look, why don't I just show you some of the act? Watch this.” Lilith stood in the centre, prepped. “Now you have to imagine this with two people. It's swell with two people.”

Lilith made it through the whole song without forgetting a move. She delighted in reacting with Zelda; asking Roxie what she thought half way through and seeing Zelda’s pink tongue as she blew an unimpressed raspberry only made her try harder, as though the woman herself was judging her. She had to pause at the last verse, not knowing the choreography and so she planted her feet firmly and belted the song out, determined to at least prove her voice was up to scratch. 

“Now, you've seen me goin' through it, it may seem there's nothin' to it. But I simply cannot do it… alooooooooooooooooooooone!”

Taking a risk, remembering the film version, Lilith took a little run and slid on her knees across the floor, stopping in front of Zelda, panting, her hands out to her side with palms facing the woman, fingers splayed; her eyes fixed on the other woman. Zelda blinked and inhaled softly, staring down at her, pulled from her character. 

Lilith’s chest rose and fell and then her lip curled into a grin. Zelda’s lips twitched. 

“Well, that was acceptable.” Faustus’ voice broke through Lilith’s focus on the woman in front of her and she sagged a little, back onto her heels, and looked at it. “We need to fix that ending though. I’ll have Prudence go through it with you.”

He checked his watch. 

“They should be here soon anyway. Take a break, get a drink. Fresh air. Whatever.”

With that, he picked up his phone and walked out, already dialling a number. Lilith looked around at Zelda, who was looking after Faustus. Her head turned however and her eyes flicked over Lilith’s face before she stood. Lilith dropped her eyes to the floor and made to get up herself, when a soft, graceful hand appeared in front of her. She glanced up again and saw Zelda raise her eyebrow. 

Lilith wiped her hand quickly on her thigh and took the offered hand, making sure to not put too much weight on Zelda as she climbed to her feet. 

“Thank you.”

Zelda inclined her head. 

“You…” she hesitated, “did well.”

Lilith studied her and then shot her a lazy grin. 

“So did I impress you?”

“What?” Zelda murmured. Then recognition dawned in her eyes. “Oh. Faustus doesn’t really care about my opinion. He just says things like that sometimes.”

Lilith was about to ask why when she realised that her hand was still in Zelda’s. The other woman seemed to realise at the same time, because she pulled back as though Lilith had bitten her, playing it off with an embarrassed half-smile. She stepped away and went to her bag, crouching down to rummage through it. Lilith tore her eyes away and went to her own bag, grabbing her water. 

“I’m going for a smoke,” Zelda said from behind her. Lilith turned. Zelda seemed to be hesitating. The silence stretched and then she turned and left, leaving Lilith wondering what she had wanted to say. 

She swigged some of her water and checked her phone. Nothing much new except a few emails and instagram notifications. Dropping her phone into her bag, Lilith decided to go and refill the bottle to the top, since she didn’t know when she’d next get a chance.

Opening the door, she spotted a group of dancers, including Agatha, Roz and Harvey, huddled around in a circle a little way down the corridor. She headed over. 

“Well if anyone can survive her it’s Lil.” Agatha said.

“Lilith versus the High Priestess? That I’d pay to see,” Harvey crowed. 

Lilith gritted her teeth and sped up the last few steps. 

“Hey, will you pack that in?” She hissed. “Get in the damn studio and leave her alone.”

Agatha and Roz looked at her surprised. 

“Lilith, hey, we weren’t saying anything bad…”

“I heard what you were saying.” Lilith sighed. “Just, go easy will you? She’s not that bad.”

They exchanged looks, shrugged and started to head inside. The other dancers began whispering as soon as they passed her and Lilith gritted her teeth again. 

“Hey, we really didn’t mean anything by it,” Agatha said. 

“I’ll see you inside,” Lilith replied, before relenting. “I know you don’t but just...you know?”

“Alright,” Agatha shrugged, and then a sly smile crossed her face. “She’s done a number on you, hasn’t she? Have you got another show crush?”

Lilith rolled her eyes and scowled; the pair giggled and headed into the studio. Lilith focused on filling her water bottle, and it was only when she turned that she found a small child sitting on the seats, having previously been hidden by the dancers. The kid was looking at her from under blonde hair with watery eyes. 

Lilith glanced around, but saw no one that the child could be with. Grimacing slightly, she knelt down in front of her; kids didn’t usually warm to her that much. 

“Hey, are you okay?” The little girl swung her legs and shrugged. “Are your parents here?”  
“They’re dead.”

Lilith froze, feeling her throat constrict. 

“Uhm… ok. I’m sorry. Are you here with someone?”

The little girl nodded. Lilith looked around again. Still, no one. She chewed her lip, debating about what to do. 

“They were being mean.” Lilith looked back to the little girl. 

“Who were?”

“Those people.” She pointed after the dancers that had gone into the studio. 

“Oh…” Lilith debated what to say. “To you?”

“No,” the girl shook her head hard. “About Auntie Zee.”

Lilith’s brain short circuited. 

“Auntie… Zelda is your Auntie?” The little girl nodded so much that Lilith was afraid her head might fall off. “Oh. Wow. You’re here with her?”

“No, with Auntie Hildie. She went to find Auntie Zee. We brought her lunch.” The girl reached forward and put her hand on Lilith’s cheek, making the woman freeze. “You told them off for saying nasty things.”

“I… uhm…”

“Sabrina!” A warm British voice came from behind Lilith, who shifted away from the little girl’s hand to see a blonde woman hurrying over. “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t find… what’s the matter darling?”

She had spotted that, the little girl, Sabrina still looked a little teary and her eyes slipped warily to Lilith, who stood up. 

“She was upset; I was keeping her company until you came back,” Lilith explained at the same time as Sabrina said:

“Some people were talking about Auntie Zee but this lady told them off.”

Lilith shifted uncomfortably as the woman studied her. Then she smiled. 

“Well, that’s very nice of you, dear.” She held out her hand. “I’m Hilda, Zelda’s sister.”

“Pleasure,” Lilith shook her hand. “I, uh… better get back inside.”

She gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. 

“Oh, of course. Can’t keep you from your rehearsal.”

“If Zelda’s in there, I’ll tell her you’re here,” Lilith offered. “But she did go out for a smoke so she’s probably on her way back inside.”

“Thank you.” Hilda’s smile was so warm that Lilith was having a hard time comparing her to Zelda. She wondered if, behind closed doors, Zelda’s smile was as brilliant and bright as her sister’s was. 

“Yes, thank you!” Sabrina said from right next to Lilith's leg. She started and looked down. 

“You’re welcome,” she offered her a smile. “It was nice to meet you, Sabrina. Don’t worry about what those people said, okay? I won’t let them do it again.”

“Okay!” Sabrina gave her a grin that seemed almost too big for her little face and Lilith couldn’t help but smile a little more softly as she stepped away from them and headed back into the studio. 

Zelda wasn’t inside, but she did reappear ten minutes later with Faustus holding the door open for her. Lilith smiled when she saw a lunch bag in her hands, which Zelda stowed in her bag as the rehearsal began again. 

Hours later, during a break, Lilith was starting to wonder if Faustus was attempting to break her. He had worked her so hard that she thought she might find her feet ripped to shreds when she took off her heels. Sweat clung to her and she was grateful that she had worn a sleeveless leotard. She grabbed at her water bottle and swigged it gratefully. 

“Lilith,” Agatha nudged her. “You’re doing so good.”

“Thanks,” Lilith grinned, wiping herself down with her towel. “I feel like I’m barely keeping up.”

“No, seriously, you’re doing amazing.” Roz appeared behind her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Who knew you were so sexy?”

“Oh please,” Agatha scoffed. “We’ve all been out to bars with her; we know she’s sexy.”

“Yeah but this is like ‘Chicago’ sexy. I mean, imagine when she gets in fishnets and…” Roz trailed off as Lilith elbowed her, chuckling. 

“You can all shut up. But I appreciate it, thank you.”

“Faustus is riding you though,” Agatha hissed, lowering her voice. “When he’s not checking you and the High… Zelda, out.”

“What about the High Priestess?” Dorcas, a girl that was more Agatha’s friend than Lilith’s, leaned in. Lilith shot her a look. 

“Lilith doesn’t like that name,” Agatha nudged her. “I think it’s because she’s got a crush.”

They all looked at Lilith who rolled her eyes. 

“Please, I do not like her like that.”

“She doesn’t like British Bitch either…” Agatha began telling Dorcas but then she trailed off; eyes flicking behind Lilith who turned in time to see Zelda standing there, her eyebrow raised, a cold look in her eyes. She pursed her lips and headed to the door, flicking her hair over her shoulder. 

“Shit,” Roz hissed. “Looks like you’re on her list now Aggie.”

“Fucking great.” Agatha groaned.

Lilith could only stare after Zelda as the door shut behind her. She felt cold. She’d finally managed to speak to the woman, had a chance to perform with her and now she might think that Lilith had something to do with those nicknames. That she believed them.

“Lilith?”

“What?” She snapped, turning back around to face the others, who started. 

“Jeez, calm down. It’s not like you said it and besides, you said you don’t think it’s going to be long until they replace you, so you don’t have to worry about her tripping you up in a dance or something.”

“I told you to fucking drop the names!”

She slipped out of Roz’s arm and headed for the door to chase after Zelda, or get some air, she wasn’t sure which, but Faustus stopped her. 

“Woah, where do you think you’re going? Break is over Lilith.”

Gritting her teeth, Lilith headed back into the centre. 

Zelda hadn’t looked at her for the rest of the rehearsal and Lilith was getting more and more frustrated by the fact. She hadn’t had anything to do with the names and the idea that Zelda thought she had was eating at her. It shouldn’t matter that much, but for some reason it did. Maybe it was little Sabrina’s face earlier, when she’d heard them all talking about her Aunt like that. 

When rehearsal ended, Lilith grabbed her bag and chased after Zelda, who appeared to be attempting to leave as quickly as possible, while everyone else milled around, talking about getting a drink or what they were going to do when they got home. Lilith heard Agatha calling after her as the door to the studio closed and she managed to slip between the lift doors as they were closing. 

Zelda eyed her coolly, but pressed the button for the ground floor. Lilith chewed her lip, adjusting her bag and then took a breath. 

“About earlier…”

“Please, do you think I care what people think of me?” Zelda’s tone was clipped, suggesting that she cared more than she wanted to let on. She slid her hands into leather gloves and threw an arched eyebrow at Lilith. “Do try and get a little more creative though. It’s hardly the first time I’ve heard British Bitch.”

The lift stopped and the doors opened; Zelda stepped towards them.

“I don’t use that,” Lilith bit back, irritated. 

“No?” Zelda swivelled on her heel and snapped. Lilith was momentarily stunned by how glorious she looked when she was angry, with her hair glowing from the sunlight behind her and her chin held high. “Which name do I have you to thank for then?”

Lilith opened her mouth to fire back, but both women were suddenly distracted as a tiny blonde girl collided with Zelda’s legs. 

“Auntie Zee!”

Little Sabrina looked up at her Aunt with big, happy eyes, holding her hands up to indicate that she wanted to be picked up. Zelda glanced back at Lilith before leaning down and doing as the girl wanted, resting her on her hip. 

“Hello Sabrina,” she murmured, and her voice was so soft that Lilith almost didn’t recognise it. “Have you had a good day?”

“Yes thank you!” Sabrina grinned. Lilith realised that the doors were about to shut and quickly shifted out of the lift and into the little girl’s vision. Her eyes lit up and she waved. “Hi!”  
“Come on, Sabrina,” Zelda said sharply, turning. “We should find your Aunt Hilda and head home.”

“But that’s the nice lady I told you about!” Sabrina pouted and Zelda stalled, turning to look at Lilith, who shifted on her feet. 

“Are you sure?” Zelda asked her niece. 

“Yep!”

“Hi Sabrina,” Lilith offered the child a small smile and a wave, which was returned vigorously. 

“See I told you, Auntie Zee!”

Hilda appeared then, wagging her finger at Sabrina. 

“Now then, missy, I told you not to run off without me.”

“But Auntie Hildie, I saw Auntie Zee, and look, the nice lady!” 

Hilda looked over and smiled when she saw Lilith, who gave her a grin back. Zelda was looking a little puzzled, still holding onto Sabrina, although the child was now squirming to be let down. 

“Hello again dear… I never did quite get your name,” Hilda smiled. 

“Lilith,” she supplied, stepping forward. “It’s nice to see you again.”

She looked at Zelda, who was now frowning at her, as though she were a puzzle she hadn’t figured out yet. Lilith wasn’t sure how she felt about the look, but she did feel the warmth spreading across the back of her neck that appeared to be connected to it. 

“We met earlier,” Hilda explained to her sister, seeing her confusion. “She was comforting Sabrina after… well… she got a little upset.”

“Because those people were saying nasty things!” Sabrina complained. 

“Yes, dear, I know,” Hilda shushed her gently. “And Lilith told them off and told you not to worry, didn’t she?”

Sabrina nodded emphatically. Lilith felt the heat spreading to her cheeks and decided it was time to leave. 

“Well, it was good to see you but, ah… time for me to head home to my shower. See you again sometime?”

“Oh, yes, if you have to. Hopefully we’ll see you if Zelda forgets her lunch again.”

Lilith offered a little chuckle, glancing at Zelda, before offering them all a wave and heading towards the door. Out in the cold air, she sucked in a breath. 

Damn, what a day. 


End file.
